The only Congressional leader to exempt staffers from ObamaCare is…

posted at 9:21 am on December 4, 2013 by Ed Morrissey

Barack Obama has launched his new sales pitch for ObamaCare, in an attempt to convince Americans that the exchanges that don’t exchange, the payment systems that don’t pay, and the website security from 1993 are so totally awesome that no one in their right mind could turn it down. If Obama can’t even convince the man who shoved ObamaCare through the Senate by parliamentary chicanery, though, how can anyone else believe him?

Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, one of Obamacare’s architects and staunchest supporters, is also the only top congressional leader to exempt some of his staff from having to buy insurance through the law’s new exchanges.

Reid is the exception among the other top congressional leaders. GOP House Speaker John Boehner, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell have all directed their staffs to join the exchange, their aides said.

Speaking of chicanery, how does Reid explain his earlier pledge to put his staffers in the ObamaCare exchanges? Oh, they’ll be there, his office explains, but only if they want to be:

In September, Reid told reporters, “Let’s stop these really juvenile political games — the one dealing with health care for senators and House members and our staff. We are going to be part of exchanges, that’s what the law says and we’ll be part of that.”

That’s true. Reid and his personal staff will buy insurance through the exchange.

But it’s also true that the law lets lawmakers decide if their committee and leadership staffers hold on to their federal employee insurance plans, an option Reid has exercised.

Shouldn’t Obama prove he can sell his own front man before going out and trying to snow the rest of us … again? He’s got until December 20th to make the sale with Harry Reid, when Obama’s annual Hawaii Christmas vacation will begin. Let’s see what kind of salesman Obama really is. When Obama manages to win the Reid account, then we’ll pay attention to the ObamaCare version of Mad Men.

Not coincidentally, my column today for The Week focuses on the latest campaign from Obama, and the shrinking credibility on which it relies:

Obama is launching a new campaign to get people to buy into the ObamaCare system before the Dec. 23 cutoff for coverage beginning Jan. 1, especially the younger and healthier Americans whose comprehensive-coverage premiums will subsidize lower premiums for older and sicker consumers. No doubt the White House will encourage consumers to visit the website, use the newly implemented “queuing” software that allows them to wait in line for lengthy periods of time while the site is unavailable, and then start shopping for those higher-priced plans in which the system may or may not enroll them.

But those consumers will be taking a risk with their personal identity information, as former Marine Corps cyber-warfare and internet security expert David Kennedy warned. The new round of “fixes” implemented over the holiday weekend made an already dangerous website even worse, Kennedy, now the CEO of TrustedSec, told the Washington Free Beacon. The fixes made over 400 changes to the code, none of which were reportedly tested for the security issues identified in the previous releases. “I’m a little bit more skeptical now,” Kennedy said, “and I would still definitely advise individuals to not use the website.”

None of these issues are near resolution, and yet Obama plans to spend the next three weeks attempting to sell this lemon. But now, it’s not just the product that’s at stake, but the salesman as well. Thanks to Obama’s mantra of “If you like your plan, you can keep your plan,” offered as late as just before the Oct. 1 rollout, the president has lost his credibility on this issue — and likely on all others as well.

His average approval rating on Real Clear Politics has dropped below 40 percent for the first time in his presidency. But worse yet are the ratings on personal qualities like honesty, integrity, and leadership. CNN’s latest poll, taken just before Thanksgiving, shows 53 percent believing that Obama isn’t honest or trustworthy. A CBS News poll put trust in Obama’s word at 49 percent, eleven points lower than a year earlier, while a Washington Post/ABC News survey gave him a 47/50 result on whether he was “honest and trustworthy” — and 33/63 when those attributes were applied to the ObamaCare implementation.

Hey, he can’t even sell Harry Reid on implementing ObamaCare. Why should the rest of us listen, especially after the parade of lies that Obama has used for the last several years to sell it in the first place? The more he tries, the less credibility he will have — and that means trouble for the rest of his agenda, too.

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Why hasn’t the filthy lazy shiftless coward signed up for the healthcare that bears his name. Why isn’t he, his vile hulking monster of a spouse, and their worse than worthless brats all proud enrollees in Obamacare. It would seem that he should be a member of the club before he goes out there and cajoles young people to buy insurance they do not need so that bar sluts like Sandra Fluke get birth control for free.

“I will add, as a fifth circumstance in the situation of the House of Representatives, restraining them from oppressive measures, that they can make no law which will not have its full operation on themselves and their friends, as well as on the great mass of the society. This has always been deemed one of the strongest bonds by which human policy can connect the rulers and the people together. It creates between them that communion of interests and sympathy of sentiments, of which few governments have furnished examples; but without which every government degenerates into tyranny. If it be asked, what is to restrain the House of Representatives from making legal discriminations in favor of themselves and a particular class of the society? I answer: the genius of the whole system; the nature of just and constitutional laws; and above all, the vigilant and manly spirit which actuates the people of America — a spirit which nourishes freedom, and in return is nourished by it.

“If this spirit shall ever be so far debased as to tolerate a law not obligatory on the legislature, as well as on the people, the people will be prepared to tolerate any thing but liberty.” -James Madison, Federalist 57

Expert Testifies to Congress that Obama’s ‘Ignoring Laws’ Could Lead to Overthrow of Government
During a congressional committee hearing about the constitutional limits imposed on the presidency and the implications of President Barack Obama’s disregard for implementing the Affordable Care Act as written, one expert testified that the consequences of the president’s behavior were potentially grave. He said that the precedent set by Obama could eventually lead to an armed revolt against the federal government.
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So with all three branches of the federal govt plssing on the Constitution, would someone please explain why we should obey its edicts and respect its officers?

This is bit misleading. All staffers get generous taxpayer funded subsidies to cover their premiums and deductibles. Subsidies not given to the rest of us. Thus, for practical purposes, the ALL get an exemption from Obamacare. Some animals are more equal than others.

So one wonders….what other laws are Harry and his friends exempt from…and where does he get the authority to do it?

albill on December 4, 2013 at 9:35 AM

They can pretty much exempt themselves from any law they pass.

This exception is Article 1, Section 6 of the Constitution, which states:

They [Congress] shall in all Cases, except Treason, Felony and Breach of the Peace, be privileged from Arrest during their Attendance at the Session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any Speech or Debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other Place.

Here’s what I think, the Democrats are exempting everyone of their core constituency so, if by November 2014 you’re not exempt, you must not be part of the Democrats core constituency so you’re free to vote Republican.

What a boondoggle. I actually went to the AHA website and looked to see if they were any cheap plans. I’m 30 years old with no preexisting conditions. My rate was 198 per month with a $6000 dollar deductible! For my work insurance I pay 200 per month with no deductible if I stay within the system. Really I would be better of paying out of pocket for all of my doctor visits because unless I become hospitalized, if would be much, much, cheaper just to pay my own way. What a fiasco!

Once again another liberal violates the Constitution, both by providing sepetate levels of treatmend for different Americans AND by issuing such a waiver. 1st, only Congress has the ability to ammend a law – Reid does mot have the authority to issue such a waiver. He ain’t Congress& he does not have ‘executive authority’ to do so.

What we are seeing now is the complete break-down of the US through the rejection of both law & Constitution by self-imposed dictators! Reid is perpetrating an act oy tyranical anarchy by makong this decree without the authority to do so.

If Reid can just give himself the authority to make any decree he wants In such a fashion then I hereby give my own self the authority to do so as well. My 1st decree with this new power is to grant every American the right not to participate in Obamacare without fear of penalty or retribution!